Maybe has been a longstanding huge favourite for many Spice Girls fans, so this outcome wouldn't seem random for us! On DenDen in the "Spice Rate 2014" thread which included all group and solo singles, Maybe smanaged to come 2nd - only prevented from winning by Viva Forever. That's how loved it is within the fan base, beating out all but one group single.

Really pleased it's won this rate! It's such a huge pop moment and imo it deserved more success and credit at the time of release. Most of her peers were doing rather straight forward pop, but Emma went against the grain with that album era and its clear 60s influences (musically and stylistically)!

I will always believe that the decision for it to only be released on one CD (and cassette) rather than two CDs was a mistake that cost it a Top 5 peak! It sold over 21,500 copies to enter at #6 (apparently 21,700), so it was around 600-800 sales behind 50 Cent at #5. Her previous single Free Me was released on 2 CDs and cassette, reached #5 and sold less to achieve the Top 5 peak - under 20,000. So Maybe was more popular than Free Me, and that was also shown by the eventual totals - as of 2009, 55k for Free Me & 77k for Maybe (lol, these figures sound pitiful compared to what we're used to nowadays, but they were fairly decent sales in 2003! Maybe was the 96th best seller of the year with 68k... equivalently the 96th best seller of 2016 sold 355k).

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A great Top 10 overall, so many of my favourites in there! I'd have had Northern Star a bit higher, and I marginally prefer What Took You So Long? over the two Melanie songs and Mi Chico Latino. My personal Top 5 would be: 1. Maybe / 2. What Took You So Long? / 3. I Turn to You / 4. Mi Chico Latino / 5. Never Be The Same Again.

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Thanks very much for doing this thread SamJudd and for the huge amount of work and effort you've put in! I've really enjoyed reading your commentaries. (Have to point this out though, Lisa's name is Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, not Lobes! )

Maybe has been a longstanding huge favourite for many Spice Girls fans, so this outcome wouldn't seem random for us! On DenDen in the "Spice Rate 2014" thread which included all group and solo singles, Maybe smanaged to come 2nd - only prevented from winning by Viva Forever. That's how loved it is within the fan base, beating out all but one group single.

Really pleased it's won this rate! It's such a huge pop moment and imo it deserved more success and credit at the time of release. Most of her peers were doing rather straight forward pop, but Emma went against the grain with that album era and its clear 60s influences (musically and stylistically)!

I will always believe that the decision for it to only be released on one CD (and cassette) rather than two CDs was a mistake that cost it a Top 5 peak! It sold over 21,500 copies to enter at #6 (apparently 21,700), so it was around 600-800 sales behind 50 Cent at #5. Her previous single Free Me was released on 2 CDs and cassette, reached #5 and sold less to achieve the Top 5 peak - under 20,000. So Maybe was more popular than Free Me, and that was also shown by the eventual totals - as of 2009, 55k for Free Me & 77k for Maybe (lol, these figures sound pitiful compared to what we're used to nowadays, but they were fairly decent sales in 2003! Maybe was the 96th best seller of the year with 68k... equivalently the 96th best seller of 2016 sold 355k).

~~~

A great Top 10 overall, so many of my favourites in there! I'd have had Northern Star a bit higher, and I marginally prefer What Took You So Long? over the two Melanie songs and Mi Chico Latino. My personal Top 5 would be: 1. Maybe / 2. What Took You So Long? / 3. I Turn to You / 4. Mi Chico Latino / 5. Never Be The Same Again.

~~~

Thanks very much for doing this thread SamJudd and for the huge amount of work and effort you've put in! I've really enjoyed reading your commentaries. (Have to point this out though, Lisa's name is Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, not Lobes! )

Just edited that post, thanks for pointing that out how silly of me. Well anyway here are the averages of all 27 of you who voted. It seems that we have a tie for the top position, but Jay edges out in front due to giving out 1 more 10, so well done to him and Lukuzz of course, seems that they are the biggest fans of the Spice Girls solo careers. =